Flashlight



July 15, 1941. A. GELARfilN FLASHLIGHT Q Filed March 26, 1957 FIG. 1.

Fla-.2.

. FIG. 3.

INVENTOR ALBERT GELARD/N ATTORN EY s parent from the following Patented 1,1, 15, 1941 UNITED STATES. PATENT OFFICE Albert Gelardin, New York, N. Y.

Application March 26. 1937, Serial No. 133,104

4 Claims. (Cl. Mil-10.68)

This invention relates to flashlights or-flash lamps of the kind in which the electrical circuit between an incandescent lamp and'the battery is adapted to be completed at will. More particularly, the invention relatesto a flash lamp of the kind which can be conveniently carried in the pocket without danger of inadvertent closing of the circuit although not so limited.

In Patent No. 2,059,977 to Williams and in the copending application Serial No. 29,841, a translucid closure for the end of the flashlight surrounds the incandescent lamp whereby light rays emanating from the lamp pass through a translucent portion thereof while other rays emanating from said lamp are directed in a beam with undiminished intensity through a transparent portion. In these flashlights, the circuit is closed by the relative movement of a battery terminal and a lamp terminal into electrical connection, which lamp terminal and battery terminal normally tend to be separated.

In the flashlight of the patent, the light transmitting globe is provided with an axially extending lamp positioning bore and the lamp has its light source end fitted in the advance end of the bore.

The primary object of the present invention is a flashlight which may, if desired, produce a direct beam, say, axially o! the flashlight, which beam is desirably surrounded by a corona of diffused light in a head or end structure which is adapted to support different kinds or shapes of lamps and/or lamp globes.

Another object of the invention is an adaptor, so-called, adapted to flt within light transmitting end closures of various types and forms to convert such end closures to receive and support diflerent kinds and shapes of lamps and/or lamp globes.

The invention also seeks a flash lamp which is practical from the standpoint of ease and cheapness of manufacture and convenience and durability in use.

These and other objects of the invention and the means'for' their attainment will be more apdetailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing illustrating one embodiment by which the invention may be realized and in which:

Figure 1 is a view in longitudinal section and partly in elevation, showing an adaptor of this invention:

'a flashlight in which Figure 3'is a similar sectional view showing still another modification.

While the invention is illustrated as applied to the globe or end closure 5 (Figure l) is separable from the casing 1 containing a source of electrical energy such as the dry cell 9, it will be obvious, as the description proceeds, that it is equally applicable to a flashlight structure in which the end closure. and casing are integral and made, for instance, of translucent material as shown and claimed for instance in copendin'g application Serial No.

108,185 which has matured into Patent No. 7

2,171,304. In either case, a lamp terminal H and a cooperating battery terminal I! are normally separated by an expansible member illustrated as a coil spring l5 and contact is'made by advancing an end closure, either the light transmitting head 5 or the closure I! at the opposite end, with respect to the casing. As in the application, the battery 9 may be inserted through the end opposite to the light transmitting head 5. In the illustrated embodiment, the electrical circult is completed from the outer container electrode of the battery through the coil spring L5 to the threaded brass shell terminal I! of the lamp.

In the earlier proposals, a lamp, such as illustrated in Figure 2, has been urged into a restricted bore. By the present invention either a conventional miniature lamp having a spherical envelope 2|, such as shown in Figures 1 and 3, or a lamp 23, the envelope of which is generally cylindrical terminating, if desired, in a lens-like end 24, as shown in Figure 2, may be used.

As shown, the globes l, 5 and 5 may vary in many particulars. Thus the bore'B of the globe I is progressively restricted. The adaptor therein comprises a disc or annulus 25 of relatively small dimension in the axial direction of the flashlight and is formed with a lip or flange 21. angularly related to the plane of the annulus 25 to enter the bore 8 until it seats on a surface portion thereof, the inner diameter of which is equal to the-outer diameter of the flanged portion 21 and is thus positioned thereby. The transverse portion 25 is formed with an aperture 28 through which the lamp end of reduced diameter passes 7 whereby the lamp is positioned within the globe, being urged against the adaptor by the battery positioning element i5.

A similar type of adaptor is illustrated in Figure 3. Here the globe 8 is illustrated as formed with a'shoulder 30 although it will be obvious that the adaptor may be positioned as in the Figure Obviously, a lamp 23 or a lamp 2| may be positioned by an adaptor constructed to seat as in either the Figure 2 or Figure 3 modification, or in any other convenient manner, by forming the adaptor with an aperture the rim 34 of which is distorted as a mutilatedythread into which the threaded base of the lamp may be screwed, as shown in Figure 1.

The adaptor of this invention may be made of any suitable material such as a transparent or translucent material, for instance, a synthetic resinoid, a plastic, glass, or of metal, and be so formed and proportioned as to be received in the globe for which it is intended and for the lamp it is desired to support. Obviously, a cylindrical apertured block is within the purview of the invention.

Various modifications will occur to those skilled in the art in the composition, configuration and disposition of the component elements going to make up the invention'as a whole as well as in the selection, adaptation and combination oi some or any oi'the said component elements, and no limitation is intended by the phraseology of the foregoing description or illustrations in the accompanying drawing, except as indicated in the appended claims.

What-is claimed is:

1. In a flashlight having a hollow light trans.- mitting head, an adaptor fitted in said head, an aperture formed therein, a lamp having the forward portion thereof extending through said aperture and partially supported thereby, and a spring engaging another portion of said lamp to press the forward end of the lamp into engagement with the edge oi! said aperture to thereby cooperate with said adaptor to provide the sole supporting means for said lamp.

2. A fiashlight comprising a housing including a globe-like head carried by one end thereof, said head having an annular seat within the wardly into the adaptor and for head, a battery carried by said housing, an annular. apertured adaptor in said housing at the head end thereof, and engaging said annular seat, the adaptor being transversely disposed in translucent head, provided with a central aperture, said head being carried by said casing in one end thereof, a collar-like adaptor fitted within said translucent head and provided with a central aperture, a battery positoned in said casing, a lamp positioned in and supported by,

said adaptor and having a portion thereof in engagement with the edge oi! the central aperture in the adaptor, and a current transmitting spring engageable with the threads on the lamp base for supporting it, for pressing the lamp Outcompleting the circuit from the lamp base to the battery.

4. A flashlight comprising a casing, a hollow,

translucent head, provided with a central aperture and an annular portion, said head being carried by said casing in one end thereof, a collar-like adaptor fitted to said annular portion and provided with a central aperture, a battery position in said casing, a lamp positioned in and supported by said adaptor and having a portion thereof in engagement with the edge of the central aperture in the adaptor, and a current transmitting spring engageable with the lamp base for partially supporting it, for pressing thelamp outwardly into secure engagement with the adaptor and pressing the adapator into engagement with said head, and for completing the 

